The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-30
The Clergy and workingmen.

/
Henry George and Dr. McGlynn are re-
ceiving support from unexpected sources.
| A day or two ago meeting of clergymen
and layInen of the Episcopal Church was
| held in the lecture room of Calvary Church,
! New York, for the purpose Of discussing
! questions relating to the interests of work
! ingmen. Some of the speakers, and eS-
J pecially Bishop Huntington, of Central
/ New York. paid high tribute to the I'M
selfish devotion which he asserted DR.. Nc
! Glynn and Henry George were exhibiting
! in behalf of laboring men. Quite mum
Der of those who took part in the proceed
ings were supporters of Henry George, and
believers in mis- theory respecting the taxa
tiOn of land
IL is remarkable that prominent clergy
men and laymen of the Episcopal, or any
other church should form an association to
encourage men like Henry George and DR..
McGlynn. There is no fault to be found
with them for trying to assist workingmen,
but it is not easy to understand how they
can believe that by encouraging DR. Nc
Glynn and Henry George they are helping
the poor. Henry George has no plan for
advancing the interests of the workingmen
but his scheme of land taxation, and that is
so improbable that there is no probab hty
that it will ever be seriously considered by
those entrusted with the power to make and
change laws In fact, Henry George him
self is unable to explain how his land taxing
scheme can be made to benefit either the
poor or the rich He undertook to do so
few days ago in a public discussion with
one of the leaders of the Progressive party,
and failed so completely that those of his
admirers who were present did not have the
courage to make excuses for him.
There is nothing in Henry Georges career
that shows that he is anything more than
shrewd demagogue 1t Isl question whether
his pretended sympathy for the poor is
genuine de is persistent ofilce-seeker,
and ever since he has been in New York he
has been endeavoring to find ways by which
he might escape poverty. He pretends to
be opening the way for Others to escape it,
but it is noticeable that he is chiefly con-
cerned about himself.
Dr. McGlynn is disappointed ex-priest.
who was rather unceremoniously lifted out
of the comfortable place which he occupied
in the Catholic church because Of his fragrant
acts of disobedience There appears to be
some ground for saying that his disobedi-
ence was the result of unSatisfied ambition.
1t may be that he is little more sincere
than Henry George i'll his professions of "a
desire to help worlingmen, but, admitting
that he is, the prospect that he will accom-
plish anything for them is not promising.
There are labor problems, of course, and
there always have been. Men like Henry
George, DIR. McGlynn and those who met in
Calvary church, however, will not solve
them. One level-headed man like Chief
Arthur of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers, is worth to genuine working
men a hundred such men as they are.
If those who met in Calvary church want
to do something that will help the poor let
them direct their efforts to making the poor
feel comfortable in the grand churches,
where the display of wealth units the mind
for divine worship, and repels those who
earn their bread 10y the sweat of their brow
One of the clergymen present at the Cal
vary church meeting said that he feared
that some of the clergy thought good rich
man a little better than a good poor man.
His fears are not without foundation. If
those clergyinen who are so anxious to help
laboring men will set themselves to work to
make less distinct the lines which separate
the rich from the poor in their churches
they win accomplish more for the class
they seek to benefit than they will by com
mending Henry George and DR.. McGlynn.